I bought 2 snails from Pets At Home recently, and the woman who sold them to me told me they were tropical snails, but would be fine in a cold water tank. All I had to do was leave them in the bag a little longer when I took them home. I left them in the bag like she said, and when I put them in my tank they I saw them move within the first half an hour (about 3 yesterday) but it's been over 24 hours now and one I've not seen move since then and the other hasn't moved since this morning. I also can't tell if they've eaten there food as the pellets blend in to my gravel. I can't remember the name of them, but one is spotty and one is stripey. Is this normal or are they dead?
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Are my snails dead!?
- Thread starter 7lions
- Start date
As you bought them from Pets@Home you must be in the UK, so they can't be apple (aka mystery) snails as import of them into the EU is illegal. Are they round? If so they are nerites. If the stripey one is pointy, it could be an assassin snail. If the snails are nerites, they won't eat any prepared food. Mine will only touch algae, they won't even eat vegetables.
The way to tell if a snail is dead is to sniff it very carefully. Dead snails smell appalling, and if you take too big a sniff the smell will stay in your nose for hours.
The way to tell if a snail is dead is to sniff it very carefully. Dead snails smell appalling, and if you take too big a sniff the smell will stay in your nose for hours.
Hi, I've just googled those names and they are Nerites. Oh really, the woman who sold them also sold me these tiny little pellets and said one pellet a day would be fine! There's no algae in the tank really, there's live plants, I wonder if they'd munch on them?
One has moved - the same one who had moved yesterday - but other still hasn't, so I think I'm gonna have to sniff!
Thank you!
One has moved - the same one who had moved yesterday - but other still hasn't, so I think I'm gonna have to sniff!
Thank you!
If it didn't smell, it's still alive. Once you've smelled a dead snail, you'll never forget it.
A lot of the big chain stores, particularly the ones that sell other animals as well, give terrible advice. Too many of these shops only train their staff in how to sell things.
I have kept nerites for about 15 years. I currently have 6 nerites in my 180 litre tank. I bought the brown/beige striped and red with black spots nerites in July 2011 (yes I do keep notes on when and where I buy fish etc) followed by more in December 2013 and December 2014. They are all still alive. I have never put specific snail food in the tank, but it does grow algae.
You could try a slice of courgette (aka zucchini) last thing at night, so that the fish are asleep and won't eat it all. You would need to weight it down, something like skewering it on an old teaspoon handle would to the job. Or perhaps sushi nori as I know people feed that to otos. Both of these should be removed after 24 hours or they'll go off and make a mess of the tank.
A word of warning about nerites. If you ever have to treat sick fish, remove the nerites. They are extremely easy to kill. I keep mine in my quarantine tank if I need to treat the fish, but a bucket of water with daily water changes would be OK - but cover the bucket with something or the nerites could climb out. Make sure very last trace of medication has gone before putting the snails back.
A lot of the big chain stores, particularly the ones that sell other animals as well, give terrible advice. Too many of these shops only train their staff in how to sell things.
I have kept nerites for about 15 years. I currently have 6 nerites in my 180 litre tank. I bought the brown/beige striped and red with black spots nerites in July 2011 (yes I do keep notes on when and where I buy fish etc) followed by more in December 2013 and December 2014. They are all still alive. I have never put specific snail food in the tank, but it does grow algae.
You could try a slice of courgette (aka zucchini) last thing at night, so that the fish are asleep and won't eat it all. You would need to weight it down, something like skewering it on an old teaspoon handle would to the job. Or perhaps sushi nori as I know people feed that to otos. Both of these should be removed after 24 hours or they'll go off and make a mess of the tank.
A word of warning about nerites. If you ever have to treat sick fish, remove the nerites. They are extremely easy to kill. I keep mine in my quarantine tank if I need to treat the fish, but a bucket of water with daily water changes would be OK - but cover the bucket with something or the nerites could climb out. Make sure very last trace of medication has gone before putting the snails back.
thrujenseyes
Fish Herder
That made me laugh...but indeed it is very true
I'm hoping your tank is cycled because they're fairly sensitive to nitrites and ammonia.
And like essjay mentioned be sure to have a lid or keep a super close eye on them...they're escape artists!
Gorgeous little critters though and will keep an aquarium sparkling clean! Hard workers!
Mine like blanched zucchini (must give them something if you don't have any algae for them to eat).
They don't bother with eating your plants...unless they have algae on them, but they will only lean them of it, not eat the actual plant itself.
I've kinda cycled it. I've just not tested the water levels. I will get some testing strips very soon.
My lid did have 2 big gaps so I've covered it up now, thank you!
I only had some cucumber, so I put that on a spoon at the bottom of the tank. I put the cucumber in about 10 hours ago, then went to work. When I came home, still no movement from them and now one of my fish is missing!
In my tank I have 2 nitrite snails, a Hong Kong plec and 2 varietus platy's. One of the platys is missing.
I feel like these snails are just really sneaky and completely playing me! I hope she's not been eaten.
My lid did have 2 big gaps so I've covered it up now, thank you!
I only had some cucumber, so I put that on a spoon at the bottom of the tank. I put the cucumber in about 10 hours ago, then went to work. When I came home, still no movement from them and now one of my fish is missing!
In my tank I have 2 nitrite snails, a Hong Kong plec and 2 varietus platy's. One of the platys is missing.
I feel like these snails are just really sneaky and completely playing me! I hope she's not been eaten.
thrujenseyes
Fish Herder
this is not good. I'm not even sure what that means but it NEEDS to be cycled.
Read the thread here about how to cycle. It's very important.
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